Tall Poppy Syndrome?

Well hey there!! I thought I would come and update my highly anticipated blog, because you’ve all been waiting oh so long! ... *this is the time where I would put the hash-tag #blatantlies in my tweet ;)* But I did figure that, at this time of the year, it’s good to get out all your feelings. So here goes. Also, I have my iTunes on shuffle (how unusual... not), so I will update you as different songs come on. Just for shits and giggles. (I get the feeling this blog won’t be quite so formal as the others. I.e. I can’t be bothered with formalities, henceforth I’m going casual Friday ........ or Sunday)

[Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ – Michael Jackson] Firstly, let’s talk about relationships. I know I’ve delved into it before, but really, I want to touch on it again. Sorry. Please, please, please, please, times a billion, cherish the relationships you have. However, please don’t also be blinded by them. If you are in a relationship that is clearly not doing you any good, do something about it. I’m not just saying as in a partner-type relationship, but friends and family too. Everybody has different layers, but a lot of the time, we let other people hold us back from showing our whole selves. And what’s the point in having all these layers, or traits, or whatever, if we don’t allow them to break through? [Somewhat ironic, “I Want To Break Free – Queen”] As an Aussie, we have the tendency to cut down other people. “Tall poppy syndrome”, I believe is the common colloquialism (how I know how to spell that I’ll never know). But there’s a difference between cutting down a bloke who’s bragging about his latest victory on the field (or pool table... personal joke), and then holding somebody back from being their true self. It’s not always so obvious when this happens though. Sometimes, people quite obviously cut us down, bring us “back down to earth”, or even sometimes they hurt us which forces us into our “shells”. But other times, a constant negative or “downer” can really affect us in unimaginable ways.

It frustrates me so much [A Fight About Money – Powderfinger] that people I know and love have so much to give in life, and yet are being held back by other people; they aren’t happy in themselves when really, they deserve all the happiness in the world. It is one thing for us as outsiders to identify these things, but it’s a completely different - and big-time challenging thing - for these people to realise it themselves. This puts us as friends, family members, partners or whatever, in a very difficult situation; to what extent should we get involved in such situations? Is it even our place to say something? I mean, surely if we know somebody could be happier, shouldn’t we do something about it? Personally, I think these people need to realise it for themselves. I don’t mean that in a bad way, not at all. I think we should constantly support them in any way possible. But I think if they figure it out themselves, they won’t begrudge us for trying to interfere or anything along those lines. ... I’m hoping you’re catching my drift and I’m not digging myself a hole here. [Love to Love You – The Corrs].

What do you do to fix these things though? [Took some time to ponder here... Keep Me Hangin’ On – Glee Cast] Please don’t think I’m some upstart punk who thinks he has all the answers, I’m just a kid with too much time on my hands and who thinks about way too much stuff, and has dealt with a crap load of problems in my short life. As I’ve kinda eluded too, the biggest part of all this is to identify that these people are bringing you down. From there, it gets kinda tough. (ps: I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life, so please don’t take it that way :/ And I fully encourage your input/comments!! :) ) Once you realise what these people are doing [Mr Brightside – The Killers... man, this was my favourite song for a good 2 years or so. And my MSN name for just as long... a little somethin’ somethin’ for you folks out there :)], you need to assess the situation. You’ve got to realise what’s going on in your life. Talk to your friends and/or family, ask for their opinion. Often, if they are close enough to you, they’ll have quite a strong opinion on a certain person/situation, which might surprise you. But please listen to them. From there, you can decide what action to take. There are so many different measures in which we can take, from simply talking things through, to cutting people out of your lives. Far out, it sounds so drastic, but unfortunately, sometimes, that’s just the best thing to do. Trust me, I know. But let’s hope we don’t have to be so extreme. [You Don’t Scare Me – Josh Pyke]

Hmmm... On more thought, perhaps I won’t go into too much detail here. But to somewhat surmise what I’ve been talking about... They say this is the time of year where we should tell each other how much we appreciate each other. And we really should. But while you’re at it, look at your relationships, and how each one makes you feel. I know there are some people in my life who just make me feel so damned special that I can’t help but smile when I think of them. And everyone should have people in their lives that make them feel that way. I know we can’t have all perfect relationships, but we can try to have ones which are as positive as possible, and that means surrounding yourself with such people. [Little Black Sandals – Sia] Now that I have said all that, please make sure, you embrace ALL your positive relationships. Reinforce the positiveness you have by reminding people how much you care about them. Spend as much time with people as you can, surround yourself with your friends. Don’t wait until a gathering, or when it’s convenient, to talk to your loved ones.

In fact, I’m putting out a challenge right now. I want all of you to pick up your phone and send a text, phone call, or e-mail, write a letter, whatever, [Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes) – Michael Buble feat Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings] tell somebody right now how much they mean to you. It can be your partner, your best friend, your neighbour, your mum or dad, brother or sister, your cousin, or someone who you don’t speak to as often as you would like (that last one is my favourite. I love hearing from people out of the blue who I don’t talk to often). But with this one random greeting/thought, I guarantee you, you will make someone smile. And what does a smile cost? Not a thing. (Unless you’re sending a text, then it could cost you roughly 50c... or calling, then it could get a bit more expensive if you’re calling mobile to mobile... but I digress). [Stranger in Moscow – Michael Jackson ... Took some time to read over everything. Smile – Michael Jackson. Yes, it’s still on shuffle. I just have 81 MJ songs, which is quite a few considering I haven’t got a whole heap of music on my laptop yet]

I was planning on talking about a whole bunch of other crap tonight, but I think this is quite enough for now... Not that anybody really reads this anyway, but that’ll do for now, I think :) By the way, in case you didn’t pick it up, I am encouraging you to challenge yourselves, both on the inside and in your relationships, and seek to become the happiest you can be. Yeah, that’s right, I’m still encouraging you to challenge everything. You’ll learn to live with it ;) I guess I’ll sign off for now. Christmas time is over, and we’re all getting ready to ring in the New Year. I hope you all have an amazing time, but stay safe and sensible all the while. That’s not to say we can’t all go a little wild ;) Just be careful, and remember to look out for each other, and hopefully none of us will have sore heads the next morning :P [I’ve Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers – Fall Out Boy] So until next time, look after yourself.

L.L.L.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

I'm going to try to keep this one a little shorter... I realise it's enough to get you to come to this page, so might as well try to make it a little easier to read :)

So we've all heard of the old cliche story "The Road Not Taken", or been in a "crossroads" like situation... And I've been thinking a lot lately (because it's such a rare ocurrence), and I've kind of come to the point where I'm questioning my own decisions... not just here and there, but kind of in life in general. (PS: Notice this whole "challenge everything" is still prevailing? ... Seems like one of those things that just won't leave me alone.)

And then I find myself questioning these decisions, wondering if I am really making these decisions, or if they've been made for me?? Basically the premise for what I'm on about I guess, is fate. I've already talked about the love stuff, so I'm not going to focus on that side of fate... But more so the direction that our lives take.

I've mentioned before that I am only a young guy, and I know I think way too much for my age, but I can't help it. I guess I've just had to grow up and mature a lot quicker than many people, and with that my mind just goes crazy with a whole bunch of stuff that people probably just go with... But I can't do that. These last few weeks I've found that I've been questioning where I'm going in life? What is my direction? Where will I be in 5 years time? Will I have found a career that I'll enjoy? Will I have found "the one"? I'll be honest, I'm really nervous about where I'm going. Because I came to the conclusion quite recently that I have no plan, no idea, no clue, about where I want to go in my future. I'm studying a Commerce degree, but in no way, shape, or form, do I want to be involved in the business world. I am also majoring in journalism... but I refuse to be stuck behind a desk and be a "pencil pusher". So why am I doing it?

The same answer I keep coming up with is because it's just what I'm supposed to do... I've been set a course and this is the way it goes. I'm not preaching, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying "God has a plan for each and every one of his children"... No, I'm certainly not saying that at all. I'm just saying, or questioning, I guess, is everything planned for us already? Do we have our whole lives set out?

One small decision can change the course of history. We all know that... I asked around when thinking about this blog, about the courses our lives take, and how fate can impact upon them. I got varying answers.. A few people said that our lives are set out by fate. One said that life is what we make it, and the choices affect the path we take. Obviously everybody is going to have varying opinions on this, but it really does make me wonder... Do I already have my life planned out? Has "Mrs Right" already been picked out for me? Has my destiny already been chosen, and my date of death been set? Clearly some of these things we don't wnat to think about... And to be honest, I'm trying not to. I guess sometimes we all just need a bit of guidance. A little push in the right direction. A gentle nudge to help us along our way. Who is to say who should be giving this nudge, and how do these people giving them know which way to push us though? ... So I ask too many questions, and what is a blog if all it is, is asking questions?

I think, in my opinion, every word, every action, every thought, every move, affects who we are, what we do, who we will become, and where we will go. So yes, I believe we shape our own paths, and we create our own "destiny", if you will. I think we've all got some "drafts", some "sketches" of our lives drawn up in pencil. But ultimately, we're the ones with the eraser and the permanent marker. We're the ones that are going to mark out the path we are going to take. If only we knew the next move...

L.L.L.

Uh oh... it's a soppy one...

I'm sorry, I really didn't want to do this, but I am left with no option... I need to get this stuff out of my head and go from there.

So, I've had this discussion with quite a few people, and so far, I don't think I've ever had the same answer. But this isn't a case of who is right and who is wrong, who is interpreting things which way, and how to work out who has the best answer. Because that's just wrong...

I guess I should tell you what I'm going to rabble on about here. It is perhaps life's biggest and best gift. Coming up to Christmas, I guess it's only appropriate to discuss such things, because I guess it's the best gift you can give to someone, and to receive it in return is priceless. It enriches people's lives, and is as free as the oxygen we breathe.

I'm talking about the big one;

Love.

So everybody views this differently. Some people have been so hurt by it that they swear to never love again. Others would give their right arm and their left leg just to feel some sort of appreciation. But no matter how you feel about it, everybody does.

Ok, confession time; I'm an 18 year old straight male who has never been in a proper relationship. However, let's get something straight; that doesn't mean I've never loved. I'm gonna kinda let it all out here, so I apologise in advance. Stay tuned, I'll post some witty and completely-mind-numbing crap afterwards if you're not into this sort of stuff... which, in all honesty, nobody probably is!

Love doesn't have to be between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. Or for that matter, between a girlfriend and a girlfriend, or a boyfriend and a boyfriend. Love is not exclusive, it doesn't judge. Love can be the bond you share between you and your friends. It can be the affection towards the new puppy you've got, or the joy that is brought by bringing new life into the world. It is a bond that is not broken easily, and will hopefully "stand the test of time". (hello cliche). But to simply love is one thing. To be in love is another.

For me, to be IN love is the best thing in the world. It changes you, the way you live your life, the way you view the world. It changes the way you interract with people, how you perceive situations, how you go about your day-to-day activities. It's pumping up the music and singing like a maniac and not caring who hears. It's skipping down the road like a tool and not giving a damn who is watching you. It's not caring what anybody else thinks about you, because you know you are happy. It is, quite easily, the best thing in the world. Unfortunately, it can also be the hardest thing, because unrequited love is one of the hardest things to deal with. And I'm not talking about crushing on a celebrity, I'm talking about the real deal.

Another question that always comes up when discussing this topic, is the theme of "friends"... Do the best relationships come from being close friends? Or is it known straight away when you meet someone that it's going to be more than just friends? I guess this is also referred to as "love at first sight". Either way, I'm not going to make that choice for you, because everyone is different. All I will say, however; the person you are with, are they not your best friend? I mean, you (usually) plan on spending the rest of your life with them, or at least for the foreseeable future... So does this mean that a relationship works best when it comes from friendships? Or, is it best to keep your friends seperate? ... That's one that has killed me for a while. The thing is... more often than not, we can't choose who we fall in love with. You can avoid it all you like, but those feelings will always be there. That is sometimes what hurts most, because we love those we know we shouldn't.

So, love is this amazing, overwhelming feeling that changes you; a powerful thing, but as I kind of eluded to earlier, it's not always the best thing either. It can tear you apart, so badly that it feels like somebody has ripped your heart out and torn it in two. So it's kind of a catch twenty-two. If we don't love, we won't feel the amazing warmth that it can encompass us within... If we do, we risk feeling the greatest hurt in the world... For me, that risk is worth it all. And even if, at the end of the day, I was left heartbroken, I guarantee you, I'd go back and do it all again, because one of the worst feelings - often associated with love - is the big question; "what if?"

I know for me, at such a young age, that question frustrates me every single night. Without fail. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and so really, I shouldn't be asking myself this question. But I always do. I don't have regrets in life; why bother? Everything that happens has shaped us to be the person we are today. And we must accept that. You can everything in your power to change things, except the one thing you can never change is your past, so you might as well accept it. But just because we try to accept it, doesn't stop these questions plagueing our mindset.

I guess what I'm trying to say, out of all this, is that you can't leave things to chance. You have to go out and have a go, challenge everything, because you never know unless you try. I feel somewhat hypocritical saying this, but if I had someone to tell me to go for it at certain times in my life... well, maybe I'd be talking with more experience. All I can really say, is try to build up the confidence you need to voice your feelings. Everybody wants to be loved, whether they admit it or not, and you never know if your feelings are returned unless you actively find out. So go out and try, because you don't want that damn question keeping you awake at night

Trust me, I know.

First thoughts...

In all honesty, I'll probably forget all about this in time, but for now, I thought I'd kick things off with a few of my random thoughts...

Firstly... why do they call Donkey Kong... well... Donkey Kong?? Now I'm no anthropological expert (or monkey expert, which is probably more appropriate, since we're not talking about humans. I just wanted to start off by using big words to impress you. All 2 of you), but he seems more of a monkey sort of creature, rather than a donkey... I mean, he doesn't exactly have a "long face", and I'm pretty sure he has opposable thumbs, as opposed to hoofs... So why not call him "Monkey Kong"? For something that has become so much a part of our day to day life (for those of us that commonly refer to the saying "it's on like Donkey Kong" ... ok, yeah, so there aren't many of us) I feel we have somewhat overlooked the origin of the tale. Was the true meaning somewhat lost in translation? Or was there seriously just a lapse in judgement when it was named?

Either way, I don't think it will really affect us when we want to carve up the Mario Kart course with a big hairy dude who can run over measly little opponents (unless you're using Baby Mario with the Bullet Bike. Then it is ON like Donkey Kong!) But it's worth thinking about... Ok, yeah, it isn't...

Now on to more important matters... the flavour of our beloved savoury snacks.

I realise I'm not really a connoisseur of the crisp variety (or of anything really), but can somebody please explain to me the reasoning behind the flavourings for our delectable treats? I think my main concern lies therein with the name "Barbecue" ... Now, clearly, I myself have never tasted a barbecue, but I assume it would taste something like a combination of steel, charcoal and old grease... Probably not the tastiest of things, I would imagine. But if that is the case, then why do these companies insist on calling their product such a name?

Admittedly, I have brought up this argument before, and the only tangible answer that can somewhat carry SOME legitimacy to it has been that the flavour is based on what is cooked ON the barbecue, not the barbecue itself. Mmmmmkay, I can see how you might come to that conclusion... my follow up question; what exactly have you EVER cooked on a barbecue that tastes even remotely like that of this chip? ... it is here that I generally draw that silence that is one pondering their own thoughts, and henceforth doubting their own argument.

Other flavours that I also argue against include Chicken and Original. Now I can't say I've tasted any (cooked) chicken, or stock, even egg, or any other chicken-related product that tastes remotely like that of the chicken flavouring smothered on these chips. And as far as Original goes... this is the most common, and clearly the most vague. "Original ..." what? I believe each of these products that claims the title "Original" is basically saying "well, this is the foundation for each of our other products... it's kinda got some salt on it... ummm, yeahhhhh". That, to me, is what these products are saying to us as consumers.

Please, don't get me wrong, I'm not all about carrying on and complaining about products (although believe me, I am the kind of guy who sits there and rips adverts to shreds, and picks out totally unrealistic parts of movies and complains loudly... sorry about that), because I have many different dimensions; which, if I keep going with this, you'll see eventually.

A wise man once told me (and many other people), that us, as a society, should not simply "accept" things as they are, but to question everything. At the time, I was like "yeah, that sounds cool", but I have recently realised just how much I have done this since this advice was passed down to me. And it's not neccesarily a bad thing... I don't think so, anyway. Why shouldn't we question the way our world works, and all the tiny parts that make it up? How else is it going to improve? If it weren't for people constantly challenging the way things are right now, we wouldn't be sitting in our comfy arm chairs, cooling off under the air conditioner in the raging heat, networking socially, listening to our iPods, and, most importantly, I wouldn't be able to express my wild meanderings, and you wouldn't be reading them right now.

In all honesty, I really don't expect anybody, at all, to have read this in it's entirety... or at all... Realistically, I think I'm just the kind of person who feels he needs to express himself, otherwise I'll explode with all these random thoughts just whizzing in and out of my head. (and according to most of my "friends", there's a lot of room up there). So, if you have made it this far, thank you :) You can spread the word if you like... I'm sure I'll have plenty of witty people coming up with arguments against my opinions, which is fine. You know why? Because it means you aren't accepting my thoughts, you're challenging them, which is the point of all this anyway :)

Until next time kiddos; take care, and Live. Laugh. Love.